Safeguarding at the Heart of The Church

“no effort must be spared to create a culture able to prevent such situations from happening” - Pope Francis in his letter to the People of God (20 August 2018).

The Diocese of Plymouth is committed to support victims of abuse whether such abuse occurred within a church setting, within the family or in any other context and in all cases we will do what we can to help and support victims and survivors.It is clear that the voices of the survivors of abuse are important and as part of our ongoing work we have met with victims locally, and maintain good links and work with both national and local victim/ survivors charities Nationally our work is informed by a National Survivors Advisory Panel and we also promote the work of the Truth Project which is part of the Independent Inquiry in to Child Sexual Abuse.Should you have been touched by abuse in the past and you wish to discuss further then please contact our safeguarding office who can provide professional advice guidance and support in a confidential and non-judgemental environment.Alternatively you may consider contacting the Truth Project which is part of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse.

The Church has a responsibility to ensure all those who undertake work in the name of the Church are adequately trained in safeguarding matters. The Catholic Church is dependent on Clergy, Religious and Lay people using their skills and talents to nurture and support the Catholic community. Some will be paid employees, but the majority undertake their work on a voluntary basis. Whilst some will recognise their role as a volunteer, many rightly see their caring and support contribution as part of their Christian responsibility and ministry. But we all have a role to play in safeguarding the young or adults who may be at risk and it is for this reason that the Catholic Church in England and Wales has worked with EduCare to bring you an e-learning package that will raise awareness throughout the Catholic Community in our countries. The e-learning package is part of the Church’s commitment to safeguarding, and is available to all members of the Catholic community free of charge. The programme will be launched on 30th July 2015.

Please download the brochure to see the courses available and how to access them.

What do I need to do to access this training resource?

1. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register your interest.

2. Your email should contain your name, email address, the name of your parish/order/congregation, and your role. For example: Priest, Member of the Religious, Safeguarding Representative, Youth Worker, Teacher, SVP or Other Volunteers, Parent/Grandparent/Guardian, or Other.

Updated information for Victims and Survivors of Abuse is now available on our safeguarding pages including information for the truth project, which is part of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse